1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for controlling a lamp in a refrigerator, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for controlling a lamp in a refrigerator, wherein a time period when the refrigerator lamp is turned on is added up while the lamp is repeatedly turned on and off, and the lamp is temporarily turned off when the added time period reaches a predetermined time period, so that the lamp can be prevented from being overheated and parts positioned adjacent thereto from being thus deformed due to heat generated from the lamp.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, a refrigerator is provided with a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber corresponding to an internal space in a refrigerator cabinet. A machine room with a certain space is provided at a rear side of the refrigerator cabinet and mounted with cooling devices for maintaining the refrigerating/freezing chambers at a low temperature state.
The cooling devices are composed of a compressor for compressing a refrigerant transferred through a refrigerant pipe at high temperature and high pressure, a condenser for cooling down the refrigerant compressed by the compressor to low temperature and high pressure, and an expansion valve for converting the cooled refrigerant into a low pressure state, so that the low pressure refrigerant can absorb heat and evaporate through the expansion valve to maintain the interior of the refrigerator at a low temperature state.
The refrigerator is provided with a lamp, which is a lighting device in the refrigerator, for illuminating the interior of the refrigerating and freezing chambers. The lamp is configured in such a manner that it is turned on and off when a refrigerator door is closed and opened, respectively.
FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling a lamp in a refrigerator according to a prior art.
According to the method for controlling the refrigerator lamp according to the prior art, the lamp in the refrigerator is turned on when the refrigerator door is opened (S1, S2). Then, while the lamp is kept at its ON state, the lamp is turned off after a predetermined time period has passed (S3, S4).
That is, the method for controlling the refrigerator lamp according to the prior art is configured in such a manner that the lamp is turned off to reduce the deformation of injection molded parts in the refrigerator due to heat generated from the lamp for a long time, if a state where the lamp is turned on is maintained over a predetermined time period.
However, the related art control method has a limitation in preventing heat from residing near the lamp, which is caused by the repetitive turning on and off of the lamp due to the frequent opening and closing of the refrigerator door.
In particular, in a case where a high power lamp is installed in the refrigerator to allow the interior of the refrigerator to be brighter, heat quantity generated in and near the lamp is increased as the number of times the lamp is turned on and off is increased. Thus, this increase in heat quantity leads to the deformation of the injection molded parts positioned adjacent to the lamp, and consequently, to the occurrence of fire.